Christos Kottis joined the Department of International Trade (DIT) North West team as Export Manager for Greater Manchester in 2020.

With 25 years of experience working in business and marketing, Christos’s international trade expertise has been gained across various industry sectors, including manufacturing, renewable energy, logistics and professional services.

His role, part of the Northern Powerhouse DIT regional team, involves engaging with SMEs across Greater Manchester to promote the opportunities on offer, to both existing and new exporters, to maximise their international trade volume, in line with the government’s vision for Global Britain.

Christos chairs the Gr.Manchester Trade Group, a team of strategic partners such as the GM Combined Authority, GM Chamber of Commerce, the University of Manchester, Export Champions and others who meet regularly and develop/monitor the Export Strategy for the region with the latest version published in January. Christos also sits on the GM-Pakistan Steering Group and on the GM-Bangladesh Trade Board.

James recently joined Acclime as Head of Business Development UK & Europe following 10+ years working in International Business Development. His career has seen him work in multiple sectors including FinTech, Sports Marketing and Recruitment. James joined Acclime to help it continue its rapid growth since forming in 2019. With 800 employees and over 8000 clients globally, it has quickly established itself as a global leader in international professional services. James support UK and European businesses looking to enter the US and 13 APAC countries. He also works closely with Acclime’s in-territory teams to provide additional market expertise to their clients.

Having started her career in automotive design, managing projects for many household names, Amy has a high appreciation for attention to detail and upholding standards.

Previously Amy worked as Partnerships Manager at the largest children’s hospice in the UK, Acorns Children’s Hospice, and has been a Trustee of Steps to Work (charity) since 2018. Amy focuses her attention on how to support others and joined Western Union Business Solutions as a partnership manager to help businesses with cross border trade; the common thread in her work is seeking opportunities to help empower others.

Currency volatility is an issue for many firms trading internationally and receiving clear guidance on how to save money and manage risk is a challenge. Advice from a recognised and trusted partner is vital, and Amy works with a strong team of FCA regulated advisors, experts in a variety of sectors, who are available to support businesses with international currency requirements.

Stuart has worked in the trust and fiduciary business industry for the last 25 years, starting his career in Hong Kong with Grant Thornton before joining Sovereign with responsibility for business development in Asia and latterly being made Managing Director before moving to Gibraltar. After a couple of years as Managing Director of Sovereign’s Gibraltar office, he moved to Zurich to join Coutts Bank working as a private banker for their Asia desk before returning to the UK to work for a venture capital company. He re-joined Sovereign in early 2018 working from the Wirral office with responsibility for business development in the North primarily focussed on corporate and trust work. He is a member of STEP and his varied career in the financial and fiduciary industry enables him to engage on a diverse number of issues and find solutions for clients and introducers alike.

Adam is a partner and specialist employment lawyer with experience advising on all aspects of employment law from the beginning to the end of the employment relationship. Adam’s practice has a focus on senior executives and complex terminations, business restructuring, TUPE /outsourcing, discrimination and whistleblowing claims. He has worked extensively in the private sector with businesses of all sizes from SMEs, multi-nationals to PLCs. Adam advises a wide range of clients in the technology, housing association, financial, manufacturing, transport, charities, pharmaceutical and media sector. In addition, Adam has appeared in employment tribunal on behalf of clients in complex multi-day hearings. Examples of his recent work include: • Advising a multi-national manufacturing company on breach of restrictive covenants by a senior director. Successfully negotiating undertakings to prevent a High Court Injunction. • Advising both a national food manufacturing company and pharmaceutical business on the termination of their MD. • Regularly assisting a manufacturing company on the negotiation of TUPE terms in commercial contracts. • Successfully advising a charity on a collective redundancy process resulting in a significant reduction in the number of compulsory redundancies. • Advising a provider of technology products on an investigation in to a senior director of a recently acquired fintech company. Successfully negotiating a multi-million-pound settlement package for an exiting MD. Outside of work Adam loves spending time with his wife and 2 years old daughter. However, when time permits, he has a love of sport. He frequently plays hockey, golf and tennis and is a Committee Member of Bowdon Hockey Club.